Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against the Michigan Board of Professional Surveyors, administered by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 339.2007, 339.2008 on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
Michigan licenses professional surveyors, not land surveyors, and the seal has to track the current title. R 339.17301 requires the legend to read “Licensed Professional Surveyor” with “State of Michigan,” following figure 301. A new device ordered with Licensed Land Surveyor or Registered Land Surveyor on the band is off specification. There is one lawful exception, and it is a real one: MCL 339.2007(1) grandfathers a seal that already existed on September 1, 1992 bearing “registered land surveyor” or “licensed land surveyor,” so an older device with that wording remains acceptable and does not need reordering.
The second detail is the number. R 339.17301 asks for your “full license number, as shown on the licensee’s state-issued professional surveyor license.” Michigan license numbers are long, and a supplier who truncates leading digits to make the artwork balance has produced a seal that does not match the license the rule points to.
Do not import a dimension. Michigan states none for surveyors, none for architects and none for engineers. The rule fixes the design by figure 301 and leaves the size to legibility, so a quoted Michigan surveyor diameter came from a catalog rather than from R 339.17301.
Michigan land surveyor seal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Michigan rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes | Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 339.2007, 339.2008 |
| Required elements | Your name as shown on your state issued professional surveyor license; Your full license number as shown on that license; State of Michigan in the legend surrounding the seal; Licensed Professional Surveyor in the legend surrounding the seal; A design conforming to figure 301 in the rule | Mich. Admin. Code R 339.17301 |
| Size and shape | Not addressed. No diameter appears in the Professional Surveyors General Rules or in the statute. The sources here are R 339.17101 to R 339.17509 in full, including R 339.17301 itself, and MCL 339.2007 and MCL 339.2008. | Mich. Admin. Code R 339.17301 (silent) |
| Device allowed | Embossed, printed or electronic, all three legal. | Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 339.2007(3), 339.2008(1) |
| Signature and date | Seal and signature, no date rule. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2007(2), (3) |
| What must be sealed | Plans, specifications, plats and reports issued by the licensee and filed with a public authority, under MCL 339.2007(2). | Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 339.2007(2), 339.2008 |
| Electronic seal | Permitted by statute, with no technology named. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2007(3) |
| Renewal and lapse | MCL 339.2007(2) bars applying the seal or signature once the license has expired or is suspended or revoked, unless the license is renewed, reinstated or reissued. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2007(2) |
| Firm requirements | Firm approval, not a firm seal. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.2010 |
| Regulator | The Michigan Board of Professional Surveyors, administered by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs | Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 339.2007, 339.2008, 339.2010, Michigan Occupational Code art. 20, read in full from the Michigan Legislature |
Is a seal required in Michigan?
Michigan calls the profession professional surveying, not land surveying, and the seal duty sits in the same Article 20 statute that governs architects and engineers. MCL 339.2007(1) requires the licensee on licensure to obtain or adopt a seal in a form authorized by the appropriate board bearing the licensee’s name and the legend “licensed professional surveyor”. MCL 339.2007(2) requires the licensee to “apply his or her seal and signature to a plan, specification, plat, or report that is issued by the licensee and filed with a public authority.” MCL 339.2008(1) extends that to anything required to be submitted to a governmental agency for approval or record. R 339.17301 fixes the face.
What must appear on the seal
- Your name as shown on your state issued professional surveyor license
- Your full license number as shown on that license
- State of Michigan in the legend surrounding the seal
- Licensed Professional Surveyor in the legend surrounding the seal
- A design conforming to figure 301 in the rule
The legend is fixed and spelled out. R 339.17301 requires the seal to include the licensee’s name and “full license number, as shown on the licensee’s state-issued professional surveyor license” and to indicate “State of Michigan” and “Licensed Professional Surveyor” in the legend surrounding the seal, following figure 301. The statutory grandfather in MCL 339.2007(1) reaches surveyors as well: a seal that existed on September 1, 1992 bearing “registered land surveyor” or “licensed land surveyor” remains acceptable. No firm name, no PS prefix on the number, no expiration date.
Size and shape
Not addressed. No diameter appears in the Professional Surveyors General Rules or in the statute. The sources here are R 339.17101 to R 339.17509 in full, including R 339.17301 itself, and MCL 339.2007 and MCL 339.2008. The rule fixes the design by figure 301 and states no measurement.
Embosser, rubber stamp or digital
Embossed, printed or electronic, all three legal. MCL 339.2008(1) requires the document to carry “the embossed, printed, or electronic seal of the person in responsible charge”, and MCL 339.2007(3)(c) provides that “Seal” includes an electronic seal. The safe buy for a Michigan surveyor is an inked stamp. Survey plats are recorded and reproduced by county offices, and an unfilled embossed impression disappears from a scan.
Signing and dating
Seal and signature, no date rule. MCL 339.2007(2) pairs the seal with the signature on the filed plan, specification, plat or report. An electronic signature is expressly permitted by MCL 339.2007(3)(b) and (d). Neither the statute nor R 339.17301 requires the signature to cross the impression and neither requires a date beside it. The sources here are R 339.17101 to R 339.17509 in full.
The title changed twice, and your seal has to track the current one
Michigan used to license land surveyors. It now licenses professional surveyors, and R 339.17301 requires the legend to read “Licensed Professional Surveyor” with “State of Michigan”. A new Michigan device ordered with Licensed Land Surveyor or Registered Land Surveyor on the band is off specification. The only reason those words appear lawfully on Michigan sheets is MCL 339.2007(1), which grandfathers a seal that already existed on September 1, 1992 bearing registered land surveyor or licensed land surveyor.
Which documents must be sealed
Plans, specifications, plats and reports issued by the licensee and filed with a public authority, under MCL 339.2007(2). MCL 339.2008(1) adds the document level list for anything required to be submitted to a governmental agency for approval or record: plan, plat, drawing, map, the title sheet of specifications, an addendum, bulletin or report, and the index sheets of a bound submission. MCL 339.2008(3) forbids sealing work not prepared by the licensee or under the licensee’s supervision. R 339.17403 separately requires the licensee to be responsible for clear, accurate and complete development of plats, plans, drawings, specifications, survey reports and other instruments of service, and to retain licensed professional associates for phases involving architecture or professional engineering in which the licensee lacks competence.
Electronic and digital seals
Permitted by statute, with no technology named. MCL 339.2007(3)(a) defines an electronic seal as one created by electronic or optical means and affixed electronically to a document or electronic document, and 339.2007(3)(c) folds it into the word seal. The same subsection does the same for the signature. There is no certificate authority requirement, no hash standard and no tamper evident container in the surveyor rules. The sources here are R 339.17101 to R 339.17509 in full.
Renewal, lapse and retirement
MCL 339.2007(2) bars applying the seal or signature once the license has expired or is suspended or revoked, unless the license is renewed, reinstated or reissued. R 339.17301 adds that the seal must be used by the licensee whose name appears on it for as long as the license is in effect, and makes the licensee responsible for its security. The license number does not change on renewal and no expiration date belongs on the face, so the device outlives every renewal cycle. Relicensure is at R 339.17303.
Firm requirements
Firm approval, not a firm seal. MCL 339.2010(1) permits a firm to practice professional surveying if not less than two thirds of its principals are licensees, 339.2010(2) requires department approval for a nonlicensed principal and that principal’s firm, and 339.2010(4) requires a person in responsible charge at each Michigan place of business offering the service. Michigan issues no surveying firm seal and no firm number belongs on a sealed plat.
What to check before you order
Order an inked stamp following figure 301 in R 339.17301. The band reads State of Michigan and Licensed Professional Surveyor. The center carries your name and your full license number exactly as printed on your state issued Michigan professional surveyor license, with no digits dropped and no PS prefix added. Michigan gives no diameter, so size the die to stay legible on a recorded plat. Leave off firm names and expiration dates. If your seal predates September 1, 1992 and says registered land surveyor or licensed land surveyor, MCL 339.2007(1) lets you keep using it rather than reordering.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a seal required for surveyors in Michigan?
Yes. MCL 339.2007(1) requires the licensee on licensure to obtain or adopt a seal in a form authorized by the appropriate board bearing the licensee’s name and the legend “licensed professional surveyor,” and MCL 339.2007(2) requires the licensee to “apply his or her seal and signature to a plan, specification, plat, or report that is issued by the licensee and filed with a public authority.” MCL 339.2008(1) extends that to anything required to be submitted to a governmental agency for approval or record.
What has to appear on a Michigan surveyor seal?
Your name as shown on your state issued professional surveyor license, your full license number as shown on that license, State of Michigan and Licensed Professional Surveyor in the legend surrounding the seal, all on a design conforming to figure 301 in R 339.17301. No firm name, no PS prefix on the number, no expiration date.
What size is a Michigan surveyor seal?
No diameter appears in the Professional Surveyors General Rules or in the statute. R 339.17101 to R 339.17509, MCL 339.2007 and MCL 339.2008 all state none. The rule fixes the design by figure 301 and leaves the size to legibility, so size the die to stay readable on a recorded plat.
Embossed, printed or electronic in Michigan?
All three. MCL 339.2008(1) requires the document to carry “the embossed, printed, or electronic seal of the person in responsible charge,” and MCL 339.2007(3)(c) provides that “Seal” includes an electronic seal. An inked stamp is the safe buy, because survey plats are recorded and reproduced by county offices and an unfilled embossed impression disappears from a scan.
Does Michigan require a date beside the seal?
No. MCL 339.2007(2) pairs the seal with the signature on the filed plan, specification, plat or report, and neither the statute nor R 339.17301 requires the signature to cross the impression or requires a date beside it. An electronic signature is expressly permitted by MCL 339.2007(3)(b) and (d).
Which Michigan documents get the seal?
Plans, specifications, plats and reports issued by the licensee and filed with a public authority, under MCL 339.2007(2). MCL 339.2008(1) adds the document level list for anything required to be submitted to a governmental agency for approval or record: plan, plat, drawing, map, the title sheet of specifications, an addendum, bulletin or report, and the index sheets of a bound submission.
What may I not seal in Michigan?
Work you did not prepare or supervise. MCL 339.2008(3) forbids sealing work not prepared by the licensee or under the licensee’s supervision. R 339.17403 separately requires the licensee to be responsible for clear, accurate and complete development of plats, plans, drawings, specifications, survey reports and other instruments of service, and to retain licensed professional associates for phases involving architecture or professional engineering in which the licensee lacks competence.
Does Michigan name an electronic sealing standard?
No technology is named. MCL 339.2007(3)(a) defines an electronic seal as one created by electronic or optical means and affixed electronically to a document or electronic document, and 339.2007(3)(c) folds it into the word seal, with the same treatment for the signature. There is no certificate authority requirement, no hash standard and no tamper evident container in the surveyor rules.
Can I keep using an old Michigan land surveyor seal?
Yes, if it predates the change. MCL 339.2007(1) grandfathers a seal that existed on September 1, 1992 bearing registered land surveyor or licensed land surveyor, so that device remains acceptable. A new order has to read Licensed Professional Surveyor.
Does a Michigan seal need replacing at renewal?
No. The license number does not change on renewal and no expiration date belongs on the face, so the device outlives every renewal cycle. MCL 339.2007(2) bars applying the seal or signature once the license has expired or is suspended or revoked, unless the license is renewed, reinstated or reissued. R 339.17301 adds that the seal must be used by the licensee whose name appears on it for as long as the license is in effect, and makes the licensee responsible for its security. Relicensure is at R 339.17303.
Does a Michigan surveying firm have a seal?
No. MCL 339.2010(1) permits a firm to practice professional surveying if not less than two thirds of its principals are licensees, 339.2010(2) requires department approval for a nonlicensed principal and that principal’s firm, and 339.2010(4) requires a person in responsible charge at each Michigan place of business offering the service. Michigan issues no surveying firm seal and no firm number belongs on a sealed plat.
